Electrical transmitting apparatus for controlling the sighting of guns.



A. T. DAWSON & G. T.'BUCKHAM.

ELEUTRIGAL TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SIGHTING 0F GUNS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1908.

Patented May 18,

ARTHUR TREVGR DAWSON AND GEORGE LAND.

THOMAS BUCKH'All/I, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON,

LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENG- ELECTEEGAL TRAIISMETTING APE-ARATUS FDR CGNTBLOLEING THE SIGHTINQ OF G'UllS.

No. eeaoee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Fatented an is, recs.

Application filed E'ovember 2Q, 1938. Serial No. 463,731. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR Tnnvon Diiwson and GEORGE Tnon's BUonn-iin, both subjects of the King of Great Britain,

residing at 32 Victoria street, Westminster,

in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electrical Transmitting Apparatus for Controlling the Sighting 05 Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical transmitting, apparatus for controlling the'pos-ition of an electrically actuated. pointer with respect to the range dial ot' the sighting apparatus and it has for its chief object to combine with the transmitting apparatus what is known in connection with sighting apparatus as a calibrating device for the purpose of enabling corrections to be made in the setting of the electrically actuated pointer to compensate more particularly for errors of the day affecting the range. This calibrating device is mechanically controlled by the transmitter switch that electrically controls the movement of the said pointer, whereby variable relative movement between the oint er and the range dial is caused to ta-lie place in addition to the movement transmitted electrically through the said switch to the pointer.

According to this invention the transmitting apparatus comprises a cam disk situated at the back of the range dial and rotatably mounted concentrically therewith, the said cam disk being adapted tobe rotated through suitable gearing from the spindle of the transmitter switch. On the back 0% the said cam disk is acam or'spiral groove with which engages a roller carried at one end of an arm or lever which swings in a bearing carried. on the casing of the instrument, and

which is rovided with a sliding block. This sliding b ock may be adj ustod on the lever in any desired position at either side of the bearing, according to whether the movemerit imparted to the pointer by the calilin'ating device requires to be increased or diminished. The sliding block is provided with an index mark to be used in conjunction with suitable graduations'on the lever.

The motor together with its gear for the electrically actuated pointer may be carried inan oscillatory box or casing movable on a bearing formed centrally behind the cam disk hearing. The sliding blockv on the lever is connected to the oscillatory box by a link so as to impart motion to the said box or casing in an analogous manner to that set forth in the s ecification of our prior application Serial l 0.. 398717. In order to amplify the motion given to the oscillatory box and pointer, the said link is connected to a lever geared to the oscillatory box.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect We will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1; is a front elevation of the transmitting apparatus with the calibrating device combined therewith. 2 is a vertical central section of the same.

A is the range dial, B the pointer, and C the motor for electrically actuating the pointer.

D is the can disk situated at the back of the range dial A and rotatably mounted on a boss A concentric with the range dial and forming part of the casing or framing A thereof. Fixed to or forming part of the cam disk D is a worm wheel D which gears with a worm E on the-spindle E' of the transmitter switch E, means being provided for throwing the cam disk out of gear so that the latter can be returned to the original position Without moving the transmitter switch E- This may be effected by forming the spindle E with a universal joint E and; by supporting the worm end of the spindle in a bearing E pivotally mounted in asliding block E which is carried by the casing; A Connected to the sliding block is a controlled bolt E capable of being retraete by the handle E for disengaging the Worm E from the worm wheel D any suitable means being provided for retaining the bolt in its retracted position. 1

Formed in the back of the disk D is a cam groove D with which engages a roller d carried on the end of the short or bent arm of the lever This lever d is pi-votally mounted on a bearing acarried in a bracket on the casing or traming A of the ap aratus. The

said: lever is-provided with a s iding block al 1 0 ha screw a? by means or cnred to the lever any desired position on either side of the axis of the bearing 41, according to whether the variationin the movement of the pointer B re quires to be' increased or diminished. The

sliding block d is provided with an index mark 05 to be used mconjnnction with suitable graduations d on the lever. The motor Chas its armature connected with a worm c by means of toothed gearing c 0", the said worm enga ing with a worm wheel 0 attached to t e spindle Z: of the pointer B. The said motor Q together with its gearing is carried in an oscillatorybox C movable on a rearward extension A of the boss A. The sliding block d is connected by a link d to a lever 01 which is pivotally mounted at d to the framing A of the apparatus and imparts motion to the oscillatory box by a toothed segment 0 fixed upon the said oscillatory box. l

The said transmitter switch E is of the drum type, the spindle E of this switch being connected with the cam disk D through worm gearing as above explained. The electrio current is supplied to'the transmitter switch through a quick break switch c adapted to be worked by a system of levers e which are carried by the switch actuating handle e and which come into operation on grasping the said handle as is well understood in connection with switches of this kind.

The spindle a carrying this handle is @011".

nected by toothed wheels at s with the spindle E of the transmitter switch and thereby 55 imparts motion thereto when the handle is turned. Any otherconvenient form of transmitter switch may be used.

To prevent the transmitter switch E from being moved when current is not passing, a

40 looking arrangement is provided and in the example shown is in he form of a clutch c" operated by the aforesaid system of levers and so arranged that the quick break switch e makes contact belore the clutch is free.

In using the apparatus say for correcting the range to compensate for errors of the day, the sliding block (3 is first moved to the requisite extent on thevlever d to oneside or other of the aris of the bearing CL, according as the correction is to be greater or less than the normal. handle e is then turned to cause the pointer B to indicate the desired range, this movement of the pointer being efi'ected through 65 the intervention of the toothed gearing e e", the rotary switch E and the motor C. Simultaneously with this movement, motion is imparted to the cam disk D through the worm E and the worm wheel D from the s indie E that carries the rotary switch E. 'l .e movement of the pointer relatively to the range dial is increased or diminished by the calibrating lever d and the cam groove D in the said disk D imparting motion to the oscillatory box O; it being understood that The transmitter switch,

the extent of the movement transmitted through the calibrating lever d is regulated by the position to which the block d is set on the said lever d. A greater or less number of turns will require to be given to the switch handle c to bring the pointer to the desired range, cccording as the relative movement of the pointer and range dial is increased or diminished thus the pointers of all the sight ing apparatus'that are in electrical connection with the transmitting apparatus will move through a greater or less angle as the case may be. This correction will preferably be additional to that which is made by adjusting the calibrating device at each of the sighting apparatus to compensate for changes in muzzle velocity and temperature! The hinge pin (i by means of which the connecting link a? for actuating the oscillatory box C is attached to the sliding block d may be slidably connected with the block, as shown in Fig. 1.; By changing the osition of this pin d relation to the Sll( ing block, the

angular movement of the oscillatory box 0,

may be furtheradjnsted to allow for other errors ranging, such'as, for instance, the difference in range due to the use of different kinds of shot. This separate slide may be provided on the slidin block of either the calibrating device appertaining to the transmitting apparatus or to the sighting apparatus or to both of them.

What we claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. in electrical transmitting a paratus for controlling the sighting of guns, toe combination of a rotary transmitter switch, an electrically actuated pointer under the control oi said switch, a range dial over which the said ointer moves and whereb the actu-.

ation of the switch causes a variable relative movement to take place between the pointer and the range dial in addition to the move ment said switch transmits to the pointer.

2, in electrical transmitting apparatus for controlling the sighting of guns, the combination of a rotary transmitter switch, an electrically-actuated pointer under the control of said switch, a range dial over which the said pointer moves, a cam disk, means for actuating said cam disk from the switch and means for transmitting variable movement from the said cam disk to the electrically actuated pointer.

3. In electrical transmitting apparatus for controlling the sighting of guns, the combination of a rotary transmitter switch, an electrically actuated pointerunder the control of said switch, a range dial overwhich the said pointer moves, a cam disk, means for actuating said cam disk from the switch, a bell crank lever arranged in conjunction with the said cam disk, a sliding block on one arm of the bell crank lever and means attached to the sliding block for imparting additional movement to the aforesaid electrically actuated pointer.

- 4. In electrical transmitting apparatus for controlling the sighting of guns, the combination of a rotary transmitter switch, an electrically actuated pointer under the control of said switch, a range dial over which the said pointer moves, a cam disk, means for actuating said cam disk from the switch, a bell crank lever arranged in conjunction with the said cam disk, a sliding block on one'arm of the bell crank lever, an electric motor under the control of said switch for actuating said pointer, a casing for said motor rotatably mounted co-axially with the pointer, and lever mechanism connected with said sliding block for imparting rotary movement to the motor casing.

5. In electrical transmitting a paratus for controlling the sighting of guns, the combination of a rotary transmitter switch, an electrically actuated pointer under the control of said switch, a range dial over which the said, pointer moves, a disk, means for actuating said disk from the switch, a spiral groove in said disk, a bell cranklever, a roller on one i I arm of said lever en aging with the spiral groove, a sliding bloc on the other arm of Q the bell crank lever, a link attached totsaid sliding block, a lever connecting the link to a toothed segment, and a further toothed segment gearing therewith and attached to the motor casing. I

6. In electrical transmitting a paratus for controlling the sighting of guns, tl ie combina tionof a rotary transmitter switch, an electrically actuated pointer under the control of said switch, a range dial over which the said pointer moves, a cam disk, a worm wheel mounted thereon, a worm meshing therewith, a shaft on which the said worm is mounted and to which the transmitter switch is attached, and means for transmitting variable movement from the said cam disk to the electrically actuated pointer.

In testimony whereof we affixour signatures in resence of two witnesses.

THUR TREVOR DAWSON.

GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY KING,

F. MAGEE. 

